When it comes to the bedroom, snoring can be the Great Divide, a veritable chasm that some find impossible to span.

A recent survey by Impulse Research Corp. found that snoring mars the bliss of 70 per cent of newlywed couples and 36 per cent of snorers’ partners flee to a separate room.

The problem is so commonplace that some home-builders are offering “snore rooms” - usually small cubbyholes off or near the master bedroom.

Snoring can fall anywhere between gentle huffs and bed-shaking snorts that make rest impossible for a light-sleeping partner.

Though cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Dagwood Bumstead depict snoring as a humorous norm, there’s nothing funny or normal about it, says Dr Najeeb Zuberi of Central Florida Neurology, which operates a sleep-disorder centre.

Snoring occurs when the back of the throat is obstructed during sleep. It can be attributed to myriad things. For instance, in deep relaxation, the tongue and jaw can slide backward to block breathing, especially in those who sleep on their backs, Zuberi says.

Those who are overweight could have excessive neck tissue that presses heavily upon the throat, causing it to collapse.

Nasal congestion can lead to mouth breathing during sleep, which increases the likelihood of snoring. Alcohol consumption before bedtime, which causes mouth and throat muscles to relax, the shape of your mouth and advancing age also can make you susceptible.

Light snoring is rarely harmful, says Dr Robert Thornton, co-medical director of Florida Hospital Centre for Sleep Disorders.

“A lot of people who snore may not need to have anything done related to their own health.”  But when snoring is heavy enough to cause “micro-arousals” - a lightening of the sleep state - snorers may feel tired and less able to concentrate during the day. Consequently, they might score higher on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, a tool used to assess daytime alertness.

Most snorers really don’t know they’re doing it, Thornton says. In some cases, it’s not until a bed partner begins to lose sleep or notices that the snorer repeatedly stops breathing - a problem known as sleep apnea - that sufferers are made aware of the problem.
 
Hundreds of over-the-counter products, such as nasal strips and sprays, are offered as remedies to snoring, but these help only if nasal congestion is part of the problem.

“People snore worse and have apnea somewhat worse if they can’t breathe through their noses,” Thornton says.

Snorers being tested for sleep apnea - which can worsen existing cardiovascular problems or cause high blood pressure, weight gain and headaches - can expect to spend a night snoozing in a sleep clinic while their brain waves, eye movement, blood oxidation, breathing and heart rate are monitored.

If the diagnosis is apnea, surgery to remove an obstruction, correct a defect, move the jaw and tongue forward or stiffen the palate could be recommended.

Many sleep apnea sufferers instead opt to use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which uses a mask and airflow pressure to keep the airway open during sleep.